Our present queen, Elizabeth II has been reigning longer than any other monarch – king or queen – in British history. Queen Victoria reigned for 63 years, 7 months and 2 days. She died in 1901. Today, our queen passed that record. The queen is now 89 but seems to be in good health. Her mother lived until she was 101.
Elizabeth was not born to be a queen because her father was not the oldest son of George V. The oldest son, Edward VIII, abdicated in 1936 to marry a divorced woman. The next son, George, then became King George VI. He had two daughters, Elizabeth and Margaret. Elizabeth was 10 years old at that time. When King George VI died in 1952, Elizabeth became the queen at the age of 25.
Queen Elizabeth has 4 children. The oldest is Charles who will be the next king when she dies or if she abdicates. She still leads a busy life, attending public functions, making speeches, opening Parliament, signing laws, and meeting with the current Prime Minister regularly. She does not travel outside the United Kingdom these days, but in the past, she and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, travelled to the Commonwealth countries. She has visited New Zealand 10 times, and each time, her visit has been very popular. She is greatly admired today.
To hear more about the powers of the king or queen, listen to Magna Carta.
To hear about celebrating 60 years since the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, listen to Diamond Jubilee.
To hear about the royal succession (who will be the next kings and queens), listen to Royal Princess.
Vocabulary
• to reign (v) – to act as king or queen in a country (note the spelling; pronunciation is the same as ‘rain’)
• monarch (n) – king or queen
• abdicate (v) – to give up the throne
• current (adj) – at this time
Questions
1. Why do you think is the Queen so popular?
2. Why is Prince William popular?
3. Do we need a queen or king?
4. Is it possible for a monarch to live a normal life?